2008 Chase Logs
The 2008 chase year has been one of relatively great frustration. Although there were many tornadoes across the central Plains (primarily in Kansas), they were often quite difficult to see and occurred in places with very poor road options. At any rate, the Beloit supercell from 29 May 2008 is the most gorgeous storm I've ever seen, and the tornadoes it produced were icing on the cake.
indicates that a chase route map is available
indicates pictures from the chase are available
indicates video from the chase is available
March 17th -- Northern Texas
Total Distance: 730 miles
Target Area: Seymour, TX
Chase Area: E / SE of Abilene, TX
Maximum SPC Risk category:
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Total Distance: 300 miles
Target Area: Clinton, OK
Chase Area: E. of Cordell to El Reno, OK
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Dan Dawson, Robin Tanamachi, Gabe Garfield, and I stayed primarily on the northern supercell from not long after initiation to sunset. We successfully played a "split the difference" deal for a while, with bases of both supercells in view, though we opted ... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
April 03rd -- Northern Texas
Total Distance: 400 miles
Target Area: Near Wichita Falls, TX
Chase Area: Jacksboro to Gainesville, TX
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Total Distance: 370 miles
Target Area: Near Hobart, OK
Chase Area: S of Wichita Falls, TX
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Today was definitely a structure day, that's for sure. Dan Dawson, Howie Bluestein, and I made the trip southwest from OUN with an initial target of between Snyder and Hobart, OK. Upon seeing initiation W of SPS, we hedged a bit south, and sat in Lawton fo... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
April 09th -- Northern Texas
Total Distance: 725 miles
Target Area: Around Abilene, TX
Chase Area: Cisco to Gainesville, TX
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Dan Dawson and I (with Robin Tanamachi and another following) were ~1 mi south of the meso SW of Breckenridge. I didn't see any full condensation, but the wrapping rain curtains were very impressive. We ran into downed tree and other minor tree damage ~6-7... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 01st -- Northern Oklahoma
Total Distance: 165 miles
Target Area: Broadly-defined (C through NE OK)
Chase Area: Guthrie to S of Pawnee, OK
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Howie B., Dan D., Robin T., Mike F. and I sat in Guthrie most of the afternoon as a hedge between an KS/OK border target and a central/southcentral OK play. By the time we saw convection go up SE of ICT, we determined that it was probably too late to try ... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 07th -- Southern OK
Total Distance: 315 miles
Target Area: Near the Red River
Chase Area: Ringling to Durant, OK
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Didn't really expect a lot, but we chased a supercell that was quickly overcome by more widespread convection that developed in a relatively linear fashion. We ended up calling the chase off after it became apparent that discrete supercells were not going ... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 13th -- Central OK
Total Distance: 265 miles
Target Area: SE of OKC
Chase Area: Seminole to Henryetta, OK
Maximum SPC Risk category: Slight
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
First chase with all 3 radars saw mostly multicell convection that developed from W of Tulsa southwestward towards Purcell. We scanned from a parking lot in Seminole for a while before we noticed a lowering that looked suspiciously like a wall cloud to ou... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 22nd -- Southern KS
Total Distance: 450 miles
Target Area: Dodge City to Ness City, KS
Chase Area: Around Coldwater, KS
Maximum SPC Risk category: High
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
One deployment (IIRC) on an LP supercell approximately 2 mi N of the OK/KS border on Hwy 1 (or approximately 16 mi S of Coldwater, KS). The supercell passed from southwest through N/NE at a relatively close distance. A tornado warning was issued for this... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 23rd -- Western KS
Total Distance: 365 miles
Target Area: Near Ness City
Chase Area: Wakeeney to Ness City to Hays
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
We probably have 3-5 tornadoes in our data, despite not seeing a single one. Road options were abysmal, as all of the non-paved roads were mud disasters. As such, it was extraordinarily difficult to get in position. At any rate, here's what we did:
... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!May 24th -- Central KS
Total Distance: 230 miles
Target Area: Near Pratt, KS
Chase Area: Clear sky bust
Maximum SPC Risk category: Slight
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Frustrating day! We sat in PTT awaiting convective initiation along a dryline and near an outflow boundary from overnight convection. Well, we sat. And sat. Meanwhile, a couple of supercells anchored themselves along the southern portion of the outflow ... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 25th -- Central KS
Total Distance: 260 miles
Target Area: Ness City, KS
Chase Area: Ransom to N of Great Bend, KS
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
We had 3 deployments: 1) NW of Ness City -- previously-tornadic supercell weakened as storms developed to the immediate S and SE of the storm. We scanned for 10 minutes. We dropped this (these) storm(s) to head to a new supercell that rapidly developed t... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 26th -- Southern KS
Total Distance: 475 miles
Target Area: Dodge City to Great Bend
Chase Area: Larned to Pratt to Belle Plaine
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Yet another frustrating day to cap off a frustrating stretch of days. We deployed thrice today:
1) 14 mi of W of Larned -- intensifying convection that became increasingly outflow dominant. Large hail was reported to our west.
2) ~4 mi ... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 29th -- S NE / N KS
Total Distance: 1010 miles
Target Area: Near the KS/NE border
Chase Area: Kearney, NE, to Beloit, KS, to Belleville, KS
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Finally an awesome chase! Dan Dawson, Robin Tanamachi, and I (along with a couple others) made it to the Kearny area in time to witness at least one tornado on the SW side of town. We saw one large occlusion well SW of town, with good RFD motion and a gus... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
May 31st -- North-central OK
Total Distance: 255 miles
Target Area: Tonkawa, OK
Chase Area: Osage County, OK
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Junkus convectus. Intermittent supercells and multi-cells developed just E of I35 in far northern Oklahoma, but they failed to realized the max surface-based instability. We waited at the Tonkawa exit along I35 for a few hours before blasting ENE to deve... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
June 03rd -- North-central OK
Total Distance: 270 miles
Target Area: Near Wichita, KS
Chase Area: Near Medicine Lodge, KS
Maximum SPC Risk category: Slight
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Not much to report... Left w/ the W-band radar truck towards S KS, making the decision to head W towards the GUY supercell as opposed to northeastward towards EMP. We got to P28 in time to notice the HP supercell to our SW begin to gust/bow out, so we call... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
June 04th -- Southern NE
Total Distance: 440 miles
Target Area: Red Cloud, NE, to Osbourne, KS
Chase Area: Near Kearney, KS
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
We awoke in GBD from the previous chase, and it looked like the area between I70 and the NE/KS border would be game this day. We meandered northward with time as hot 700mb air slowly advected northward and capped off the areas of central and northern Kansa... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
June 05th -- Central KS to northern OK
Total Distance: 400 miles
Target Area: Ill-defined
Chase Area: Ellsworth, KS, to Blackwell, OK
Maximum SPC Risk category: High
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
We "intercepted" severe embedded HP supercells and assorted thunderstorms from NE of Great Bend to S of Wichita between 1 pm and 7:30 pm, hoping southward for the next storm as we watched the nearest one fly by at speeds that would be fast for March and Ap... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
June 11th -- Northern KS
Total Distance: 490 miles
Target Area: Condcordia, KS
Chase Area: Concordia to Salina to Carlton, KS
Maximum SPC Risk category: Moderate
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
Waited in Concordia, KS, for several hours awaiting initiation to our north through southwest. Several TCus and small Cbs developed and quickly weakened through mid-afternoon, before a relatively persistent supercell approached Concordia from the southwes... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
June 12th -- Central / Southern KS
Total Distance: 440 miles
Target Area: N of Wichita, KS
Chase Area: Strong City to Emporia to Wichita to Rose Hill, KS
Maximum SPC Risk category: Slight
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
We witness a few supercells, largely embedded within a larger convective mess, to the NW of the Kansas Turnpike between ICT and SLN. We saw a few wall-clouds and RFD punches, but we didn't see any tornadoes. We were making our way to the tail-end charlie ... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
June 16th -- Western OK / NW TX
Total Distance: 425 miles
Target Area: Clinton to Hobart, OK
Chase Area: Hobart to south of Vernon, TX
Maximum SPC Risk category: Slight
Watches:
Mesoscale Discussions (MCDs):
I'm stealing this from Dan Dawson's chase report, since he was in my car (and, thus, we saw the same things):
We saw the same two supercells as the CoD crew, and indeed saw them a couple of times (along with another chase tour group that I was to... CLICK HERE FOR MORE!
